Registering a Russian company is a sequence where order matters — entity, then tax and statistics, then banking, then payroll. Running that sequence without the document errors and mis-ordering that turn a one-week registration into a stalled month is the practical goal.
Entity registration, tax and statistics setup, banking, payroll — each step depends on the last, so order is what keeps it moving.
Document errors — a mismatch or missing translation — are the most common cause of delay, more than the process itself.
Registering a company in Russia is not one step but a sequence, and the order matters: entity first, then tax and statistics registration, then banking, then payroll for your first hires. This guide walks through each stage for a foreign-owned LLC, including how much can be done remotely.
Incorporation starts with the founding documents: the decision to establish, the charter, and identification and corporate documents for the foreign shareholder(s) and the director. Documents issued abroad must be notarised and, depending on the country, apostilled or legalised, and translated into Russian. Getting this package right is where most delays happen.
Before filing you fix the essentials: the legal form (almost always an LLC), the charter capital (minimum ₽10,000), the legal address, the activity codes (OKVED), and the tax regime. Each has consequences — the activity codes and tax regime in particular affect what you can do and what you pay.
The application is filed with the Federal Tax Service, which acts as the company registrar. Registration of the LLC itself is typically completed in 3–5 working days once the documents are in order. This can be handled remotely under a scoped power of attorney, so the foreign team does not need to travel to Russia.
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On incorporation the company is registered with the tax authority and receives its INN (taxpayer number) and OGRN (registration number). Statistics registration and any required notifications follow. This is also when you confirm the tax regime and VAT position.
The company needs a Russian bank account to operate. Banks run their own compliance (KYC) on the entity and its beneficial owners, which can take time, so this runs in parallel with the steps above. Charter capital is deposited once the account is open.
With the entity live, you set up payroll, register as an employer, and prepare compliant employment contracts. If a foreign director or specialists are joining, their HQS work permits are sequenced here — ideally started alongside incorporation so people can be legally in post as the company begins trading.
The LLC is registered in about a week, but a fully operational entity — banked, tax-registered and able to pay staff — usually takes six to eight weeks end to end, mostly driven by document preparation and bank onboarding.
Yes. Incorporation can be handled remotely under a scoped power of attorney, with documents executed abroad and notarised. Your team does not need to travel to Russia.
The LLC itself is typically registered in 3–5 working days once documents are ready. A fully operational entity — with banking, tax registration and payroll — usually takes six to eight weeks.
The decision to establish, the charter, and notarised (and where required apostilled/legalised) identification and corporate documents for the shareholders and director, translated into Russian.
The INN is the taxpayer identification number and the OGRN is the primary state registration number, both issued when the company is registered with the Federal Tax Service.
This lays out registration as a sequence where order matters — entity, then tax and statistics, then banking, then payroll. Your question is how to run that sequence without the document errors and mis-ordering that turn a one-week registration into a stalled month.
Starting registration? Getting the sequence and documents right up front is where the saved weeks come from.
Practical support for international business in Russia.